


Live While You Still Can

by shiny_glor_chan



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Badass Luna, Domestic Fluff, F/M, FFXV Kink Meme, Fix-It, Gen, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 14:32:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9276191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiny_glor_chan/pseuds/shiny_glor_chan
Summary: Nyx bows head, taking her hand in his. “Wherever you go,” he vows. “We can leave with the dawn and blend in with the refugees.”Luna breathes in deeply, looking up to the sky for a moment. “Let's go,” she murmurs, his hand never leaving hers.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I need a better title, but it's three in the morning, so fuck it. I may have written like 5k of this in one sitting. I apologize for everything.
> 
> Also for [this prompt at the Kink Meme](https://ffxv-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/841.html?thread=386121#cmt386121): "Nyx/Luna, AU in which Nyx travels with Luna, i am so upset that we don't get nyx in the actual game. can we please have an AU where nyx travels with luna and she survives this whole adventure.
> 
> how they resolve the royal wedding is up to you. i wouldn't mind luna/nyx/noct."
> 
> I might write more in this 'verse, but probably after writing a few other things first. <3

The wall comes up before she can intervene, and Luna can't help but hit her fist against it. She knows she should leave with Nyx. Nothing is more important than fulfilling her destiny, but she can't pull her eyes away as she watches King Regis gather all his magical strength to defeat Glauca.

It's messy, and if it weren't for the wall the king had created before the blast, she and Nyx would have surely been caught up in it. The domed wall fills with smoke, and Luna knows it over. She looks over to Nyx, knowing she needs to pull him away.

“We must go before anyone else comes,” she says sadly, taking Nyx's hand tightly into her own. “The king sacrificed himself. It must not be one made in vain.”

Nyx allows her to drag her away, and together, they run. They find a car in the royal garage, and it gets them pretty far, with the daemons scattered without Glauca to lead them. In the chaos, Nyx finds his warping and magic powers dead and gone with the passing of the king. 

Almost past the worst of daemons, someone grabs Luna, and Nyx sees members of the Kingsglaive trying to stop him. “Luche, let her go,” Nyx demands as he unsheathes his dagger.

“It's a wonder you're both still here,” Luche muses, with a dagger to the princess' throat. “Drautos should have waylaid you long before this.”

Luna clenches her fists to her sides in Luche's grasp as Nyx's eyes narrow. “What do you mean?”

Luche laughs. “You didn't know? Of course you didn't know. Drautos has been General Glauca for quite a while, and yet... Well, you were always a loyal dog to this city that spits on us, huh?”

Nyx's eyes widen, and Luna looks on in sympathy as Luche's grip on her tightens. “I wouldn't try anything, _hero_.”

“You don't have anyone coming to save you,” Nyx tells him with a growl. “Drautos, Glauca, whatever he called himself? The king killed him before he died. Can't you tell, with how this army is a mess around us?”

“Yeah, right. Drautos was more powerful than the king with those enhancements,” Luche denies, but his grip on Luna slips just enough for her to elbow him hard in the stomach.

Before Luna gets far, Luche grabs her again. “I don't think so,” he tells her haughtily, and Luna makes a quick decision, closing her eyes tightly and dropping the Ring of the Lucii. “What's this?”

Luna swallows thickly, looking defiant. “Not something that belongs to you.”

He laughs, shoving Luna away to grab the ring. “Isn't this the king's ring? Is this what had enough power to defeat Drautos at his best?” he sneers as Nyx catches Luna, but she stills his hand from attacking.

Luche puts on the ring, and Luna closes her eyes tightly as the man burns. “Luna...” Nyx murmurs as the fellow Glaive he thought as a friend turns to ash.

She shakes her head and pulls away to pick up the ring. “We must go. Will you accompany me until I bring the ring to its rightful owner?”

Nyx bows head, taking her hand in his. “Wherever you go,” he vows. “We can leave with the dawn and blend in with the refugees.”

Luna breathes in deeply, looking up to the sky for a moment. “Let's go,” she murmurs, his hand never leaving hers.

* * *

Nyx hotwires an abandoned car, much to Luna's protest, but she knows they can't continue outside the city on foot. She buckles herself in and watches as the Crown City grows smaller behind them. They're lucky to escape before more Magitek troopers descend, and dawn breaks as they leave, so the daemons fade away as well.

Unfortunately, the car starts to sputter when they're far enough away from the Insomnia that they can no longer see its walls. “Just our luck, princess,” Nyx mutters as he tries to keep the clunker going.

Luna looks ahead and spots something in the distance. “I see a gas station. Think we can make it?” she asks, pointing half a mile ahead.

Nyx looks determined and nods. “I can manage it, but unless we've got some money, we're going to be stuck for a while. Repairs are gonna be costly.”

“I'm sure there's something we can do,” Luna says, trying to keep an upbeat attitude as she thinks of what she has with her; not much she can sell, since all she really has on her person is the Ring of the Lucii and the hair comb Nyx had given her. “Perhaps my hair comb would fetch a price, you think?”

“Nah, don't do that,” Nyx insists as they pull into the station, and the engine cuts off with a jerk. “I'm sure I can do some work. I'm sure they have some beasties that need killing.”

Luna frowns at the prospect of Nyx fighting more battles for her, especially without his magic. “I will help anyway I can,” she states calmly as she gets out of the car.

Following her, Nyx slams the door behind him. “Princ-” he cuts himself off, thinking better of calling her one of her titles in public. “Luna, I'm here to help you, but you gotta let me. Let me protect you.”

“I've had quite enough protection, Nyx. I cannot stand by and allow my battles to be fought for me.” Luna's eyes burn with as much determination as her words.

“Hey, you fellas look outta sorts. You doin' all right?” a voice asks behind them, startling Luna to turn around and stare.

“Oh, I apologize... We're...” she trails off, eyes caught on the skimpily dressed mechanic in front of her.

“Sorry to say, but we're refugees from the Crown City,” Nyx butts in with appropriate sadness etched into his features. “It's fallen to the Empire just last night.”

The mechanic's eyes widen as she cover her mouth in shock. “Oh no, that's terrible. Is the king...?” she asks, trailing off, but Nyx nods, knowing what she's asking. “The prince is gonna be a mess when he hears about this.”

Luna winces, looking away as the girl starts to walk away. “Paw-paw, you got the prince's number? Is he still hanging around these parts? I got some bad news...”

An old man walks past the girl, stopping in front of Luna with an almost defiant look about him. “Shouldn't you be in Altissia, girl?” he asks, pointblank. 

She holds a hand up to stop Nyx from stepping forward. “It had been the original plan, yes,” Luna replies, looking over the old man. “You are Cid Sophiar, are you not?”

Cid snorts then grins at her. “Got a good head on yer shoulders. Gonna need that in the days to come,” he tells her, serious tone to his words before turning his head a bit to look Nyx over. “And you've picked up a Glaive as a bodyguard. Too bad he couldn't protect the King.”

Nyx's previously placid expression fades away in an instant, and anger replaces it. “I did everything I could for our King. How dare you-”

Luna holds a hand up, placing it over Nyx's chest in an attempt to calm him. “The King knew what he was doing, and he chose not to place trust in his men. He sacrificed himself to give us time to escape, and I won't let anyone dishonor that sacrifice.”

Pulling his cap down a bit, Cid hides his eyes from their sight. “Had a feeling Regis knew this was coming. One helluva goodbye call he gave me,” he admits as he turns away. “You two are welcome here as long as you like. Let Cindy know when you wanna call the prince.”

Once Cid leaves, Cindy jogs back over with a frown. “I'm sorry, y'all. I'd love to say he's not at his best right now, losing a long time friend like that,” she explains, tilting her head. “To be honest, though, Paw-Paw's usually ornery. Should see the errands he had the prince and his boys running around doing.”

Managing a courteous smile, Luna glances to wear Cid disappeared to. “He'll be all right?”

“Yeah,” Cindy replies, giving them both a bright smile and gesturing behind her. “You guys get a meal from Takka. If you're strapped for gil and can manage it, I'm sure he has some hunts your boy there can manage. It'll kill time for y'all until we get the prince back here.”

Luna bows her head a bit. “Thank you,” she says then her eyes widen. “Oh, would you be able to look over our car for us? It's a bit...”

“A bit of a last minute ride,” Nyx fills in with a chuckle. “Found it abandoned in the city on the way out, and we needed a quick getaway. I know nothing about it, other than it's less fancy than...the late king's cars, but probably a bit more high end than what's out here.”

Cindy hums as she saunters over to the car. “Hmm, you got that right. Nothing like the Regalia, this one, but it's a pretty little thing,” she says as she looks under the hood. “Been through a bit, but I can get her running again, no problem. Sorry to say, Lady Oracle, I'm still gonna need to charge for parts at very least.”

“Oh, of course. I expect nothing for free. We'll find the gil to cover the expense for parts _and_ labor,” Luna agrees amiably, making eye contact with Nyx. “Right, Nyx?”

Nyx chuckles. “Yeah, I'm up for some hunts,” he says as his stomach rumbles. “Heh, maybe we can scrounge up some food first? Think the cook will let us pay him back by washing some dishes until I manage to finish up some hunts?”

“We,” Luna corrects, ignoring the way Nyx's whole body disagrees with that statement. “I'm sure there's something we can do...”

“Not a problem. Don't worry your pretty little head,” Cindy chimes in, taking Luna's hand and placing five hundred gil in her hand. “Go grab a hot meal. Chili's real good, but Takka just came up with this hot sandwich that's delicious. Go on then.”

Cindy shoos them to the diner, and Luna sighs to herself. “I will pay her back,” she vows to Nyx as they head inside to order.

“ _We_ will,” Nyx replies a bit cheekily as she ducks her head. “I don't know what fighting you think you'll be doing-”

“Fresh faces, what can I get you two?” Takka interrupts Nyx before his argument can form, and Luna's grateful for respite.

Luna smiles sweetly. “Two bowls of chili and a hot sandwich, please. They come highly recommended.”

“Yer gonna make me blush,” he replies as he rings them up. “That'll be 300 gil, miss.”

“Thank you, sir,” Luna says politely, handing over the gil. “We'll just take a booth.”

Takka nods. “I'll bring yer food to ya when it's ready. Sit tight.”

When Luna reaches the booth with Nyx, she knows she's in for a fight. “I can make enough gil for both of us to get by until we get you back to your prince, you know,” Nyx begins, sitting across from her with a resolute expression on his face. “We're not in such dire straights that I'd make you fight.”

“You're not making me do anything,” she replies succinctly. “I am not completely useless in a battle, when I'm prepared. Let me prove that to you.”

Nyx sighs. “Can't say no to you,” he mutters, running a hand through his messy hair. “We'll take on something simple at first then.”

“That's fine,” Luna agrees, leaning forward. “I'm not some damsel, even if I haven't proven it to you.”

“I know you're no damsel. That's not the same as being able to fight for yourself.”

Luna sighs as she leans back in her seat. “I'll prove it to you,” she promises.

* * *

Having managed to finagle a rental of a pole arm from the weapon seller's truck, Luna holds her own in a fight against some mesmenirs. Nyx almost gets bowled over by one as he watches her blindside one of the beasts and sweep out its legs. It's mesmerizing to watch her fight, but he makes sure not to let himself get gored by the beast's horn. They make quick work of the beasts, which leaves Nyx time to actually be in awe of the capable woman in front of him without worrying about injury.

Luna wipes sweat and her bangs from her brow, catching Nyx staring at her. “Yes?”

Nyx shakes his head and grins. “I'll never doubt you again, Luna.”

“Good,” she replies with a smile, leaning against her pole arm a bit. “So, you won't try to leave me behind for a fight?”

“Never again,” he promises, “but how did you learn this? They train their Oracles to be warriors in Tenebrae?”

Luna chuckles. “No, but having an older brother constantly worrying about you will lead to some...drastic measures,” she confesses with a soft, sad smile. “Ravus always felt the need to protect me, so I tried to prove him wrong that I needed to be protected. I'm not sure I ever convinced him, but I did surprise him once and knocked him off his feet.”

Laughing, Nyx sheathes his dagger and stretches a bit. “Lesson learned. Never underestimate Lunafreya Nox Fleuret,” he says jokingly. “We better head back to Hammerhead. We'll pick up the bounty, have enough to buy more supplies, and set up where we're sleeping for the night.”

She takes his arm onto hers. “Lead the way.”

* * *

When they return to Hammerhead, Luna heads into the shop to buy some curatives and see if they have anything to replace her dirty, fraying dress. Nyx heads to get better weapons and some fresh food from the vendor truck.

Luna returns with a bag of clothing for her and Nyx but wearing her new work boots. A rucksack of curatives rests at her hip as she heads over to Nyx who has a new sword for himself as well as plastic bag of veggies and other food.

“I thought I'd try my hand at dinner tonight, since the trailer should have a stove top,” Nyx offers, holding up the bag of produce. “I remember a thing or two from Galahd. May not be anything you're used to, but-”

“I'm sure it'll taste wonderful,” Luna interjects, smiling. “I'll use the shower first while you're cooking then?”

Nyx nods as he holds the door of the trailer open for her. “Ladies first.”

Luna rolls her eyes fondly as she steps inside, depositing the curatives on the counter before making a beeline for the bathroom. She hasn't felt so dirty in ages, if ever. Perhaps as a child, family had looked the other way, but once Luna became Oracle, appearances became more important than ever. It's almost soothing to wash away so much dirt.

Once clean and dry, Luna tries on her new clothes: a tank top-jacket combo with some khaki capris. It's a far cry from her normal attire, but she decides different can be a good thing. It wouldn't do for someone to recognize her easily on sight because she didn't bother to try to blend in with the local color.

Running her fingers through her damp hair, Luna pulls it up into a messy bun before exiting the bathroom. “Anything I can help with? Perhaps I can do something, so you can get washed up?” she offers as she looks over Nyx's shoulder.

“The chana masala just needs to cook, but if you could start making the rice and pop the naan in the oven to warm, that'd be great,” Nyx tells her, gesturing to bag of rice and the package of bread. “I won't take long.”

Luna takes a moment to watch him disappear into the bathroom before filling an empty pot with some water and the rice. She puts it on the stove on medium with the lid half on before turn to the naan. It's not a type of bread she's seen before, but it smells good, even without warming it. Luna grabs a few pieces and lays them out on the middle rack of the over, setting it to a low heat setting to warm them up.

By the time the rice is half cooked, Nyx comes out of the bathroom with a towel on his head and his pants slung low on his hips. “Sorry, forgot my clean clothes out here,” he explains, rifling through the bag.

She finds her mouth a little dry at the sight of Nyx's half-naked body, but Luna quickly scolds herself of any strange thoughts as heat rises to her face. “It's fine,” she says quietly, checking on the rice even though she knows it's not done. “Should I turn down the heat for the...chana masala?”

Nyx hums as he pulls on his new shirt. “Yeah, go for it. I'll be right back.” He pauses, looking her over. “Maybe you should take a break from the stove. You're looking a little flushed.”

Luna huffs quietly as he disappears back into the bathroom and wonders if he left his clothes outside the bathroom on purpose.

* * *

After a surprisingly delicious and filling dinner, getting ready for bed becomes a slight issue. “Oh, I thought this trailer had more than one bed...” Nyx trails off before gesturing to the bed. “It's yours, princess. There's a couch in the main room I can sleep on.”

“You don't even fit on that couch, Nyx,” Luna says incredulously. “Really, I have no reason to worry about my honor or whatever nonsense you're telling yourself is at stake if we sleep side by side.”

“You're sure about that?” he shoots back, but Luna will not be swayed.

“Quite sure nothing will happen that I do not wish to happen,” she states firmly, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. “You are a man of honor, Nyx Ulric.”

Nyx looks away first, rubbing the back of his head. “You should be a politician. You have a way to make it impossible to refuse you.”

Luna smiles as she shrugs off her jacket. “I believe you just did not want to refuse me to begin with,” she replies, a little smugly.

“Heh, that's not wrong,” he admits as he walks over to the bed. “Think the prince will come after me if he finds out we slept together?”

An inelegant snort escapes from Luna's lips as she makes herself comfortable under the covers. “Don't worry, Nyx. I'll protect you from Noctis; however, I believe he wouldn't take such drastic action, even if we were to actually 'sleep together'.”

Nyx chokes a little as Luna as turns away from him, smiling to herself as she falls asleep.

* * *

In the morning, Nyx wakes up blearily then jumps out of the bed completely when he sees a strange woman standing over him. “Who the hell are you!?” he shouts, his dagger in his hand.

Gentiana chuckles. “The Lady Oracle awaits you outside,” she tells him with a smile, and Nyx feels calmed by it.

“Still doesn't tell me who you are,” he says as he lowers his dagger and makes to grab for his boots, looking away from only a moment.

“They call me Gentiana,” she replies, and when he looks up again, she's disappeared.

Nyx stares at the empty space where the woman had stood, and he decides he's started to hallucinate. Once he heads outside, he sees Luna sitting outside the trailer, two dogs laying at her feet with a small book in her hand. She's smiling, a bit different than the more reserved ones he's seen since they met.

“A bit of light reading?” Nyx asks in lieu of a greeting as he drops into the seat next to her. 

Luna runs her fingers across the page before closing the book quietly. “A messaging system Noctis and I share. It's good to know he's all right. At least, as of this last message,” she explains as Pryna hops up onto Nyx's lap. “Oh, she likes you. She has good taste.”

“They're both yours?” Nyx questions as he pets Pryna, and Luna nods as a reply. “Lucky. I remember wanting a dog as a kid. Never really happened, with the war.”

“They're very special dogs,” Luna tells him as she leans over scratch Pryna behind her ear. “I'm glad to have them in my life.”

Before Nyx can respond, Umbra barks and sprints away. Luna startles a bit, standing up to see where her dog ran off to. Her eyes widen as she sees the Regalia zoom by, and it leaves her speechless. Carefully shifting Pryna back to the ground, Nyx joins her.

“Luna...?”

“That was the Regalia. Noctis is heading back to Insomnia?” Luna murmurs in confusion.

Nyx winces. “He must have found out about the invasion,” he says quietly, putting a comforting hand on Luna's shoulder. “His father's death is probably in all the papers, by now. I know the first thing I would have done is to find confirmation...”

“He'll get himself killed if he tries to head into the city now,” she says quietly, looking as if she wants to follow to stop him.

Turning her away from the road, Nyx forces Luna to look at him. “Luna, he has his men with him, right? They'll stop him from charging in blind and stupid,” he tells her firmly. “I think we have other things to worry about.”

Luna's brows furrow in confusion before she follows Nyx's line of sight. A man has walked into Cid's garage, dressed in all black. She cannot see his face, but Umbra perks up and runs off again, towards the garage. Pulling away from Nyx, Luna follows Umbra with Nyx and Pryna trailing behind.

When she reaches the garage, the man still has his back to her, but Nyx seems to recognize him still. “Cor Leonis, the Marshal of the Crownsguard,” he states, in a bit of awe. “The Immortal survived when everyone else died, huh?”

Cor turns around at the words, face hard as stone as he took in Nyx. “A Glaive survived. Weren't all of you stationed to protect the king?” he says in return.

Nyx holds back a flinch but only barely. “The king ordered me to protect the princess. I did as I was told,” he states evenly.

“And I did as I was told. Look where it got the kingdom,” Cor replies, letting a huff of air. “This gets us nowhere. It's good to know the Oracle survived, and even one Glaive is better than none. It couldn't have been someone else, though, could it?”

Growling under his breath, Nyx keeps himself from launching himself at the Marshal. “What, like Titus Drautos, the traitor who was actually a general for damned Imperial Army? Maybe Luche Lazarus would be more to your liking, being power hungry enough to try to put on the king's ring.”

Luna looks away, shuddering at the memory of the man's horrid death. “No, the right Glaive survived,” Cor says calmly, fist curled at his side. “I'd heard the Glaive had betrayed Insomnia in the end. I was hoping you wouldn't confirm the story.”

The anger drains out of Nyx in an instant. “Yeah, well,” he says solemnly, “a lot happened that I wished I didn't have to confirm. It's been a rough few days.”

Cor nods his agreement. “It has, and it's only getting rougher, for all of us,” he tells them, turning to Luna. “You know what you and the prince must do.”

“I do,” she replies, looking up at him with determination in her eyes. “I wish to see him first. He'll be meeting you nearby, won't he? Perhaps the tombs up north...”

“Smart lady,” Cor praises. “I'll be asking the prince meet me up there to start collecting the royal arms. He'll need them, along with the power you'll be getting for him.”

“What power?” Nyx questions, having lost the thread of conversation somewhere along the line.

Luna breathes in deeply then out. “Noctis will need the help of the Astrals to defeat the coming darkness. I must meet with them first, so they'll accept Noctis as worthy.”

“Like the Six? Like the actual Six,” Nyx repeats dumbly, only knowing of the Six through people worshiping them and Cosmogony books.

“Yes, though not all of them will be easy to receive an audience,” Luna replies softly. “The Archaean and the Fulgurian reside in Lucis, but the Hydrean sleeps in the waters of Altissia... One of the reasons I asked for the wedding to be held there, as a precaution. It didn't play out that way.”

Nyx stares at her in astonishment. “You're amazing,” he exclaims without thought but doesn't regret a word. “You talk about confronting literal gods, you're planning for contingencies, and you're not even scared. You're the most amazing woman I've ever met.”

Luna bites back a small gasp at the praise while Cid laughs in the background, making his presence known. “Hate to break this up,” he begins as Nyx and Luna look away from each other, “but I think it's time y'all head out.”

Cor clears his throat. “You both can come with me. We're far too close to the Crown City as is, and I'm sure the Imperials are on the lookout for you, Lady Lunafreya,” he says, noticing the dogs that have padded over to rest at his feet. “They can...come as well.”

“They will find their own way. Umbra has a message to relay,” Luna says as she takes out her shared notebook with Noctis and slips in Umbra's collar. “Tell him we'll meet soon. And Pryna, stay with Umbra. I'm sure you've missed Prompto.”

Pryna barks happily as she and Umbra trot out of the garage. Luna stands, brushing off nonexistent dust from her trousers. Cor gestures to his car, and Luna gives a hopeful and encouraging smile as she heads for the car.

“Off we go,” Nyx mutters to himself, climbing into the car without another word.

* * *

When they arrive at the outpost, Cor meets up with a woman named Monica. While they talk, Luna pauses by a radio with Nyx by her side. The newscaster tells of vigils held in Tenebrae and Altissia, and Luna can't help but sit down.

“The world thinks I'm dead,” she murmurs as Nyx reaches out to rub her back. “They must know I'm not. I'm a symbol of hope for this world. They cannot believe me dead, Nyx.”

“Yeah, but you can't compromise your safety,” Nyx argues, and she looks up at him with a fierce look. “Hear me out, princess. If you out yourself now, it's going to make it harder to accomplish everything you need to do, right? Astrals won't call themselves, and more Imperial resistance isn't going to help anyone.”

Luna sighs, letting her head lull back to rest against Nyx's arm. “That is true,” she agrees reluctantly. “Once it's safe, you'll help me announce my survival to the world?”

Nyx squeezes her shoulder. “Yeah, I'll be by your side all the way. Already promised that, didn't I?”

“You did,” she says with a fond smile. “You are a man of your word. I believe that wholeheartedly.”

“My lady,” Monica interrupts, and Luna pulls away from Nyx. “Cor went on ahead to the tomb. He said to let you know the trailer is rented, so you may relax until the prince comes back from the tombs.”

Nyx eyes narrow a bit at her word choice. “So, we're hiding out until the Marshal decides it's the right time to reveal she's alive? Is that the plan?”

Monica gives a halfhearted smile, handing Luna the key to the trailer. “Seems so. He wants to gauge the prince and his entourage's skill level before they part ways. I believe seeing you first may affect his abilities.”

Luna hums in agreement. “Sounds fair enough. Though, I do wish it weren't so,” she says as she stands up. “Umbra and Pryna reach him with news that I am alive. That will have to be enough for now.”

“If you need anything, let me know, my lady,” Monica tells her with a bow before leaving her alone again with Nyx.

Nyx stretches his arms over his head, twisting his body a bit. “You head to the trailer. I'll grab some food and maybe snag us something to do. Know any card games, princess?”

Shaking her head, Luna walks towards the trailer, expecting Nyx to follow. “No, but I'm sure you'll teach me.”

“You got it. I'll be back in a bit,” he promises as he jogs off to the food vendor.

Luna pauses at the door of the trailer, watching him with a fond look before heading inside.

* * *

Nyx throws down his cards with a huff. “You are a hustler, princess!” he exclaims in annoyance as Luna reaches over to take her winnings: last bag of gyshal chips. “I don't know any card games, she says.”

“I never said that, in so many words...” Luna tries to say with a straight face but just bursts into giggles when she looks up to see Nyx's annoyed expression.

“Oh, it's on. Double or nothing now!” Nyx demands, shuffling the cards again.

Luna's giggles don't subside until there's a knock on the door. Puzzled, she glances at Nyx who is already heading to open it. He leans in the doorway just so, and no one from the outside can see her without getting past Nyx.

“Uhh, Monica said we could use this trailer, but if it's already in use...” the blond says awkwardly, gesturing behind him that he'd leave if need be.

Nyx raises an eyebrow, looking past the blond and his entourage; he recognizes the prince's shield and his advisor before he recognizes the prince. “It's in use, but I'm thinking we're meant to share for the moment.”

Gladio steps forward with narrowed eyes. “Oh yeah? Sounds a bit fishy to me,” he says as the blond steps back next to the prince.

With a shrug, Nyx holds his ground. “I think the prince would want his reunion to be a bit more private, yeah?” he offers, which definitely catches the prince's attention.

“Who's in there with you?” Noctis demands immediately.

Nyx steps back, still using his form to hide Luna from sight, but he gives Noctis enough space to step inside. “You can come in and find out,” he says then gets quite the glare for Gladio, so he adds, “and your Crownsguard too, your highness.”

Noctis steps forward, only to get pulled back by Gladio, who deems it necessary that he step inside first. Nyx admires the future king's shield for having that forethought, even entirely unneeded in the situation.

Once inside, Luna holds a finger to her lips when she catches Gladio's eye. He schools his expression and steps back, to allow room for Noctis follow. The prince is quick to step inside, and his eyes widen when he sees Luna. She smiles, and he takes the necessary few steps forward to sweep her in a hug.

Prompto runs in soon after, followed by Ignis when they hear the commotion. Nyx watches fondly, glad to see Luna reunite with someone she dearly missed, but part of him saddens at what he's about to lose. Not that he ever had Luna to begin with. Not since she was engaged to be married to the prince. Definitely not when she's the Oracle and a princess, while he's just a refugee and a soldier.

Nyx thinks about stepping out with the commotion of the reunion, but Luna stops him in his tracks. “Noctis, I'd like to introduce you to my...guard that help me find safe passage out of the city. Nyx Ulric, former member of the Kingsglaive. If not for him, I would not be here with you today.”

“A Glaive?” Noctis questions, looking at Nyx and taking in his features. “I think you drove me somewhere once.”

“Probably, your highness,” Nyx admits with a shrugs, uncomfortable with the whole room's attention on him. “I'm sorry about the king, your highness. He was a great man, even in death.”

Noctis' happy mood dissipated. “You were there when he died?”

“We both were,” Luna interjects smoothly, taking Noctis' hand into hers and guiding him to sit. “He protected Nyx and I from danger, and for all we wished to help him in his battle, he created a barrier to stop us. There was nothing to be done...”

“With everything against him, he fought bravely and brought down someone who would have hunted Luna down relentlessly,” Nyx adds solemnly then thinks about his next as carefully as he can. “I hate to admit this, but I need it to be known. The leader of the Kingsglaive was a traitor to our king and country.”

Noctis sat silently, taking in the news. “Drautos? A traitor?” Gladio questions incredulously.

“Sadly, he was the man the Imperial Army called General Glauca,” Luna explains, lacing her fingers with Noctis'. “He is the man that King Regis took down with him when he died. Your father saved many lives taking him down, Noctis.”

“The situation in Insomnia was a great deal more complicated than any of us believed,” Ignis says as he, Gladio, and Prompto join Noctis on the couch.

Prompto reaches to tentatively rub Noctis' back. “Were any of the Glaives loyal then? Who else coulda been...” he trails off, looking up at Nyx, then panicking. “I mean, not you of course, but-”

“You're not wrong, kid,” Nyx interrupts with a shrug, looking away. “He wasn't the only traitor. I'm starting to think maybe I was the only one that believed in our king. Sobering thought.”

Luna takes her free hand to take Nyx's. “I'm sure there were many other loyal Glaives. Crowe surely was one,” she states, and Nyx closes his eyes tightly. “We'll never know for certain, but don't give up hope. You were not alone in your beliefs.”

“It doesn't matter now,” Nyx admits, letting the warmth of Luna's hand in his urge him on. “We have a duty to our future king here. I'll guard Lady Lunafreya with my life and do whatever I can to win the Crown City back.”

A silence falls over the trailer for a long moment before Noctis breaks it. “Thank you for protecting Luna,” he mumbles before clearing his throat. “We'll have to talk about where we'll be going from here.”

Nyx smirks, nodding his head toward Luna. “Then you should talk to the lady with the plan.”

“Nyx,” Luna scolds, but there's no heat in her voice. 

“Just saying. You're going to need a power boost, your highness, and Luna's got the plan for it.”

Noctis cracks a small smile. “Now I'm curious. What's the plan, Luna? I'm all ears.”

Luna breathes in deeply, composing herself, then breathes out. “You know Six have great power have, in the past, lent that great power to mortals,” she begins. “As Oracle, I will go on your behalf to ask the Astrals to grant you this power.”

“Wait, whoa, we're getting actual gods involved? Epic,” Prompto exclaims then ducks down in his seat. 

“Okay, but that sounds like you're planning to this alone,” Noctis points out, and Luna doesn't correct him. “So you are. Wouldn't it better with a united front?”

“Perhaps, but the reality is the Imperial Army will be stopping us at every turn. As much as I rather avoid parting so soon, I believe all of us together may create too great of a target,” Luna explains sadly. “It's for the best, Noctis.”

“It really isn't,” he disagrees vehemently. “Something finally goes right, we're together, and you want us to split up? No way.”

Ignis clears his throat. “Perhaps you're being a bit hasty here-”

“Just because we're splitting up for now doesn't mean forever,” Nyx adds his two cents before anything escalates too far. “There's already news of Imperials blocking off the way to the Disc of Cauthess. Might be easier to infiltrate as a small team rather than a big one.”

“He's not wrong,” Gladio chimes in. “We can split up and regroup. Just needs a little organization, a meeting point, and maybe an exchange of phone numbers.”

Nyx snorts. “If we had phones. Didn't exactly have a chance to salvage mine, and not sure the princess here has one.”

Luna sighs. “Nyx is right, but I'm sure Monica could procure us at least one. We can stay in closer contact that way. Does that satisfy you, Noctis?”

“I guess for now,” Noctis replies, hiding a yawn, badly. “So, we're not all sharing this trailer, are we? Because that has to be the worst idea Monica's ever had.”

“I'm sure there's a campground around here,” Gladio begins as Prompto makes a noise of protest.

“Ugh, I thought I was finally going to get to sleep in a bed,” he complains.

“I believe this particular trailer has some bunk beds behind that curtain,” Luna chimes in, pointing to the other side of the cabin. “Four beds there, then the full sized bed in the other room.”

Prompto perks up. “That's so cool, but who's getting the 'master' bedroom?” he wonders out loud before grinning widely. “Aww, it should probably be the prince and his princess, right?”

“Pass,” Noctis says immediately then reddens when all eyes turn to him. “I just don't really want to share a bed. No offense to you, Luna.”

Luna chuckles. “You are so stubborn about the strangest things, Noctis,” she admonishes then shrugs. “Nyx and I have shared a bed before. I have no problems with repeating the arrangement.”

A silence falls over the trailer as Nyx feels like a few people in the trailer are out for his blood now. Strangely enough, he doesn't get that from Noctis, who he thought would be first in line. It's not something he expected, but the prince is nothing like what he expected.

“To clarify,” Luna adds with smug smile, “I do mean just sharing a bed. You boys have such dirty minds, and Nyx has been the perfect gentleman.”

Noctis snorts a laugh at his friends, who all look a bit ashamed for jumping to conclusions. “Luna, stop breaking my friends,” he complains jokingly. “They're not prepared for your kind of humor.”

Luna nods knowingly. “Ahh, they're only prepared your kind of humor then,” she replies cheekily. “Puns: the worse the pun, the better the friend?”

“She's got your number, Noct,” Prompto says with a laugh as he bounces out of his seat and stretches. “Okay, I don't think I'm built to handle Luna's and Noct's humor in the same room, so I'm gonna hit the hay.”

Gladio stands up as well. “Not a bad idea.”

“We have extra provisions, so I expect everyone to be prepared for a large breakfast tomorrow morning,” Ignis informs them before they all exchange good nights.

Noctis kisses the top of Luna's head, wishing her a good night before following the rest of the boys to bedroom with the bunk beds. “They're a lively bunch,” Nyx notes in a whisper.

“Yes, they are,” Luna agrees as she stands up to head to the other bedroom. “Are you joining me? I believe we'll want to be well rested for tomorrow. Big breakfast, planning infiltration, handling those boys...”

Nyx snorts as they close the bedroom door behind them. “A very busy day.”

Luna smiles as she gets into the bed and waits patiently for Nyx to join her. When he does, she reaches out to take his hand in hers, pressing her lips to his knuckles. He stares at her as she stares back, neither willing to look away.

“Believe me when I say I could not have gotten this far without you,” she whispers to him as he shakes his head, bringing her hand to his lips this time.

“I don't believe that,” Nyx disagrees. “Maybe it wouldn't have been quite like this, but you would have gotten results. The Astrals fell at your feet, and the prince had no trouble at all calling them to aid him.”

“You're a bit biased, I think,” Luna accuses him, and he shrugs with a smile. “Perhaps, I would persevere, but it's not an outcome I wish to think too much on. I want to live in the here and now, while we can.”

Nyx hesitates for a moment before pulling Luna closer to him, her head to his chest and his arms around her body. “I can't deny you anything,” he murmurs, kissing the top of her head. “Least of all...something I want too.”

With a content sigh, Luna lets her eyes fall shut with a hand over Nyx's heart. “I'm glad,” she replies. “Sleep well, Nyx.”

“Same to you, Luna,” he murmurs in reply as he falls into a blissful sleep, holding onto Luna and the peace they created, even if it only lasts for a little longer.


End file.
